Trick-chair.



No. 642,092. Patented Jan. 30, I900. E. &. U. 8. DE MUULIN.

T R I G K C H A l R.

(Application filed Aug. '15, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

1H5 cams PEYERS c0. womuwa, WASNINGTON. u. c.

No. 642,092. Patentedlan. 30, I900. E. & U. 8. DE MOULIN.

TRICK CHAIR.

(Application filed Aug. 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Wilgesszs Unirrnn JSrarns Parent tries.

EDMUND DE MOULIN AND ULYSSES S. DE MOULIN, OE GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS.

TRICK-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,092, dated January 30, 1900. Application filed August15,1899. Serial No. 727,296. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, EDMUND DE MOULIN and ULYSSES S. DE MOULIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Bond and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Chair, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chairs in general, and more particularly to that class used in secret organizations where the newly-admitted members are subjected to certain treatment known as initiation and it has for its object to provide a construction in which the chair may be caused to suddenly fall backward but without injury to the occupant, the particular object of the invention being to provide an arrangement of supporting-legs and latch mechanism through the medium of which the legs may be held in their operative positions or be allowed to fold.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair in its erect position. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the lower portion of the chair and showing the latch mechanism. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2, showing the latch released, the legs folded, and the chair in a reclining position. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the chair when the parts are locked in position. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the elements of the structure after it has been sprung. Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective showing the latch and releasing mechanism of the chair.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents the bottom of the chair, to the front of which are fixed parallel legs 11 and 12, having attached to their lower ends arc-shaped rockers 13 and 14, which extend rearwardly and upwardly to the rear of the seat 10 and are thence continued upwardly of the back 15, so that the chair may have arocking movement thereon at times. Pivoted to the rockers 13 and 14 are additional legs 16 and 17, respectively, the upper ends of which have a common connection 18, to which is attached a spring 19, which when the said legs are in their operative positions extends adjacent and rearwardly of the under side of the chairbottom and through a clip 20, fixed to the chairbottom. The end of the spring 19 lies in the path of a lever 21, pivoted to parallel standards 22 and having attached thereto an operating-cord 23. This lever when operated by the cord 23 acts to press the extremity of the spring 19 in the direction of the bottom of the chair and to disengage its latch-barb 23 from the clip 20, said barb, when the legs 16 and 17 are in the position shown in Fig. 6, lying upon the rear face of the clip, it being understood that as the spring 19 enters the clip the tip thereof engages the clip and presses the spring in the direction of the bottom of the chair until the barb has passed through the clip, when the spring quality of the latch moves it outwardly and seats the barb behind the clip.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, when the legs 16 and 17 are in their operative positions they partially support the weight of the chair, and, as shown in Fig. 3, said legs are arc-shaped and are adapted when folded to conform to the shape of the rockers 13 and 14, against which they lie. Thus if the chair be in its upright position and the cord 23 be drawn the latch will be disengaged from the clip 20, which forms a keeper therefor, thus releasing the legs 16 and 17 and allowing them to fall against the rockers, at the same time the chair falling backwardly upon the rockers and lying finally in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In order to make the effect more startling to the occupant of the chair, a cap-exploding apparatus is fixed to the bottom of the chain seat and comprises a spring-keeper 30 in the path of the lever 21 and adapted to be depressed thereby when the latch-spring 19 is released. This keeper 30 projects beyond the latch-spring, and the end of the latch-spring is beveled transversely, so that its rear edge is thicker than its front edge, as shown at 31. Pivoted to a standard 32 is a striker 33, having a hammer 34 at one end adapted to strike an anvil 35, upon which a cap may be placed, the opposite end of said striker being adapted for engagement with the beveled end of the keeper 30 to depress and pass over it and finally to lie against the rear edge thereof and to be held thereby against the influence of a helical spring 36, the tendency of which is to move the hammer against the anvil. As

the striker engages the keeper the latter is depressed, and when the striker has passed beyond it it rises to hold the striker. Thus it will be seen that if a cap is placed upon the anvil when the mechanism is operated to precipitate the chair the striking mechanism will be released and the cap will be exploded, and thus will the sensation be intensified.

In order to move the legs 16 and 17 in the direction of their operative positions and from the rockers l3 and 14, a helical spring 50 is disposed upon the pivot-bar51, through the medium of which the legs 16 and 17 are pivoted to the rockers and to which the legs 16 and 17 are fixed. One end of the spring is fixed to this pivotbar, and the other end is fixed to the adjacent leg 16. A similar spring 53 is disposed adjacent to the leg 17. Thus when the chair is raised from its inclined position the movable legs are in a position where they may be readily moved to engage the latch mechanism.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A'chair comprising aseat and a back rigidly connected, supports fixed to the seat, additional supports pivoted relatively to the seat, a connection between the pivoted supports, a latch adapted to engage said connection and hold the pivoted supports normally in operative position, a detonating mechanism, a common means for holding the latch and detonating mechanism and a common means for releasing the latch and detonating mechanism simultaneously.

2. A chair, comprising a seat and a back rigidly connected, supports fixed to the seat,

sition, and means for operating the latch to.

release the movable supports.

3. A chair, comprising a seat and a back rigidly connected,supports fixed rigidly to the seat, rockers fixed to said supports and to the back and extending along the back, movable supports connected to the rockers and adapted to hold them normally inoperative, a latch adapted to hold the movable'supports in operative position, and means for operating the latch to release the movable supports.

4:. A chair, comprising a seat and a back rigidly connected, rigid supports fixed to the seat, rockers fixed to the lower ends of the supports and to the back and extending along the back, movable supports pivoted to the rockers and adapted to hold the rockers inoperative, a latch adapted to hold the movable supports in operative position,and means for operating the latch to release the movable supports.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto afiixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND DE MOULIN. ULYSSES S. DE MOULIN. 

